The Beginning of the End
by Zachattack1011
Summary: Times have changed for this team. Set 3 years after the events of the main story. Have fun, this is gonna be a dark tale. Credit to miyumi on Zerochan for cover art.
1. Chapter 1

**The Beginning of the End**

Chapter 1

_I stood there, not believing my own eyes. She was gone, and there was nothing I could do._

"Hey Chat! Get your head out of the clouds!"

He shook his head, unable to remember where his mind had wondered off to, and why at such an inopportune time. The akuma was currently wreaking havoc in downtown Paris, and Ladybug was fighting it all by herself.

"Right. On it!"

Chat flung himself from the roof with an almost reckless grace, using his pole to spring himself onto the akumas head.

"I've got it, do your thing!" he shouted, clinging on for dear life as it tried desperately to swipe him off his head.

'of course,' ladybug thought 'I haven't used my lucky charm yet'

Though it felt like an overpowered advantage sometimes, it did come in handy for tough fights like this.

"Lucky charm!" she cried, throwing her yoyo high into the air. Returning to her once more as…

"A fire extinguisher?" she pondered, wondering just how ridiculous these things could get. Looking around, she saw that one of the fire hydrants had sprayed water all over the street they were currently fighting on.

"Chat, hold on." And for an instant, she thought she might have used the charm wrong, emptying it into the water puddle, with no visible difference. Until she realized it had worked too well and turned itself into black ice.

"Look out!" she screamed as the akuma slipped on said ice, Chat Noir being slung haphazardly across the street.

The akuma went down. Hard. For the first time since they started fighting akumas three years ago, as the blood flowed onto the concrete, they had wounded an akumatised victim.

"oh my god…" she whispered as she broke the akumatised object and caught the little moth, setting it free. 'I hope this is undone.' She begged as she reset all the damage done to the city.

"Ladybug… what happened?" Chat asked, though already knowing the answer as they stood above the now lifeless corpse of a Parisian citizen.

"It didn't fix it… I couldn't do anything…" the girl spoke between sobs, accepting Chats embrace without a second thought.

"It was an accident m'lady. Accidents happen all the time, right?" Chat questioned aloud, wondering if he was asking her or himself.

It had been six months since the first of what were now called "charm events" where an akumatised victim had been too strong, and the lucky charm had worked its magic too well. There have been several others afterwards, leading Chat Noir and Ladybug to forgo their titles as "Heroes" and settle for "Necessary vigilantes" as the mayor was now calling them.

School hadn't been the same since. Both their classmates and their teacher all stopped talking about the akumatizations and the vigilantes entirely. Any time something happened and the dynamic duo had to slip away, the rest of the school now went underground into a "akuma-proof shelter" that resembles something out of the cold war.

Battles that once took minutes, maybe an hour, can now span on for days, even a week. Thankfully, with the growth of their bodies and minds, their miraculous now last for much longer. Now, instead of having to eat on the regular, the kwamis only need a meal once or twice a day.

Adrien sat on a windowsill in the college hall, talking to Nino while his eyes and mind drifted over to a girl down the hall. Marinette had grown considerably and was now one of Adriens best friends, though he secretly longed for more.

"Girl, I'm telling you now, that boy has been looking you up and down like a dog in heat. If you ever wanted to make a move, now is your chance."

Marinette giggled, her own best friend keeping an eye on the blonde model down the hall. Alya had always been edging her on, in terms of boys, but now the look in her eye told Marinette that she was serious.

"No way Alya," Marinette whispered, not daring to look over her shoulder "Adrien is just a friend now. I moved on from those feelings long ago." She shuddered as she thought back to when she saw him and Lila making out in the courtyard. She swore from that day forward she would do her best to move on from him, and Alya knew that.

"I know, you want to move on. But sometimes the best thing to help with that is to leave no regrets." Alya winked at her friend, insinuating something that Marinette didn't want to think about.

"That was my last class for the day, so I think I'm going home. What about you?" Marinette asked, quickly changing the subject.

"No rest for the wicked," Alya sighs, "I've still got a lect-"

The bell. Not a class bell, but the one that signifies an akumatization. The two friends lock eyes as Marinette makes her was outside, following behind her, but not too closely, a cat in disguise.

"This is a big one, eh m'lady?" Chat crooned as they gazed upon the giant fiery avatar stomping through the city. As tall as the Eiffel tower and, by the looks of it, just as tough.

"How are we going to beat _this_?!" Ladybug exclaimed, dejected at the thought of their last battle.

"Simple." Chat chimed, seemingly uplifted by this dire turn of events.

"Ok hot shot, either you have a plan, or you're in a stupidly good mood. Which one is it?"

"The second one," Chat laughed "I think I might have found someone with beauty comparable to yours at school today." Chat leered, licking his lips. Ladybug hadn't seen him this happy since they went to their own movie premier, and they held hands through the screening.

"Oh ho?" She jeered back, unimpressed with how silly this cat could be.

"Oh yeah, absolutely stunning. She is smart, sexy, and in all my classes. God, I couldn't stop myself from staring earlier today." Ladybug thought back to the moment in the hallway, a whisper of a doubt creeping up inside her.

"Ok, you naughty cat, stop thinking with your head, and start thinking with your mind. We've got to do something, or this guy will burn the city down." She gestured towards the towering colossus before them, spouting the same nonsense about stealing their miraculous.

"Alrighty then, if you insist." Chat straightened up, cracking his back on this solitary rooftop. Unknowing of the fact that he just confessed that he was staring at the person beside him.

In unison, without having to speak a word, they almost disappeared from where they stood, flying towards the beast at breakneck speed, running towards the fire they have sworn to defeat, at all costs.

_That was a beautiful speech. A wonderful speech for a wonderful woman. I see the tears fall into my lap and force myself to stand up and move towards the altar._

"Two days… I think that's a record m'lady." Chat gasped, winded from their final assault. They had somehow managed to lure it out of the city and into the fields, keeping the amount of structural damage to a minimum. For some reason, with the appearance of these stronger akuma, not only will the lucky charm not fix the damage done, but it won't revert the butterfly either. Chat had taken on the task of hunting these butterflies and putting them down, his natural agility and keen sense of tracking making him a natural.

"Yeah…" She responded, equally exhausted, but also inquisitive. This hasn't been the first time she saw Chat with that look in his eyes. They glaze over, almost like he's looking at something that isn't there.

"Chat, I need you to tell me the truth. No more secrets and no more lies." Chat looked at his partner, shocked by the words he is hearing.

"Yes, of course m'lady. I've wanted to tell you since the moment we starte-"

"Not that!" she screeched, starting to get annoyed at his persistence.

"Oh. Umm… what is it then?"

She thought for a moment, wording her next question just right, so as to not frighten him, but simply to let him know that she saw.

"Has your… vision changed at all?" she delicately asked, hoping that she would receive meaningful response.

"No, not really. Why do you ask?" Chat responded, curious as to the unpredictable question.

"Nothing, its just that I've noticed you are spacing out a lot recently. Like your mind is suddenly transported somewhere else, and all that's left is just your body." She rambled out, all notion of stepping gently thrown out the window.

"Oh… no, it's nothing. I promise. Sometimes I think, in the heat of the moment, I let my mind purrous a little, that's all." He said with a wink.

Together, not another word spoken, they sat next to the unconscious form of a man, looking into the setting sun over a smooth Paris hill. Today had been a victory, but more trials are sure to come. The air clear as a cloudless night, but thick with the tension, knowing that this would not be the end. Not until they found him and put an end to this. One way or another.


	2. Chapter 2

**The Beginning of the End**

Chapter 2

_I looked upon the city we had sworn to protect and felt hopeless as I thought of whether I could do it by myself_

Adrien snapped back into focus, realizing where he was. Standing on a small platform, wearing one of his signature suits for a senior art class. Half of the girls were giggling to each other, astonished by the opportunity to draw, not only him, but some of his fathers' clothes. However, none of them caught his eye. The young woman sitting directly in front of him, intently staring at her page as her sketching tools danced effortlessly across the page. Getting caught in her gorgeous blue eyes as she worked away, one of the very few taken off guard by his charm.

As the class came to an end, Adrien immediately bounced off his pedestal and made his way to Marinette, for many reasons. The main one at this moment to see the result of her hard work.

"Hey, mind if I take a look?" Marinette stopped putting away her pencils and looked up and the handsome, blonde-haired menace before her.

"I guess, no harm in it." She gestured towards her table, the sheet of paper she was working on now covered in dust from her charcoals and soft graphite.

It was stunning. The depth of her shading and attention to detail created a piece that was a near identical picture of himself. The depth of her work was entrancing, and the fact that this was supposed to be a quick sketch spoke volumes about the talent and skill this woman possessed.

"wow…" he whispered, completely caught by surprise by the beauty and skill of this artwork. So much so that he didn't realize that she had left the room.

School ended that day without much more trouble. Adrien had recently become concerned by these visions that have been plaguing him, and it had gotten to the point where he needed answers.

Stepping out of the school, he quickly recognized his driver and bodyguard by the school gate. Luckily for him, they were distracted in conversation with a passerby, though that wouldn't last long. He took this opportunity to slip around the back of the school and vault over the fence.

He knew his way well enough. He had been called there before, but it was usually his partner who made all the contact with Master.

'left here… right down here…' He thought, trying to keep his directions straight in his head.

'Damn, I've never had to walk to his house before. It's always been via rooftop.'

Irritated, he picked up his pace, mind racing with all the questions he was going to ask. However, he couldn't shake the feeling he was being watched. He shrugged off this feeling as paranoia. After all, he's never had visions this strong before.

Finally, through alleyways and crowded streets, he made it to his destination. Without a second thought, he went inside and threw open the door, only to find Master Fu waiting by the table, with two cups of hot tea ready. Master was sat waiting for the young man to come through his door.

"How did you know I was coming, Master?" Adrien, now humbled by the sheer power this little old man gives off, sat down with his respectful question.

"I simply did." Fu responded, as cryptic as ever. The look in his eyes that of concern yet understanding.

They sat together in silence for a moment, quietly sipping their tea, and taking in the serenity of a rare peaceful second. When the time felt right, the silence was broken in a way that Adrien could have never imagined.

"What have you been seeing?"

Shocked to silence, they simply looked at each other. Knowing in their hearts that they knew far more about each other than they'd even dream.

"I…" Adrien struggled to find the words, not wanting to admit what he was seeing.

"You don't need to say anything more. Your reaction is enough to let me know that it's true."

Master Fu stood up and went over to his bookshelf, pulling a small leather-bound volume, seemingly old. He sat back down and flipped though it, allowing Adrien to see that it was handwritten, with a similar likeness to a journal.

"The black cat…" Master Fu began, knowing that Adrien had come here for answers.

"… miraculous has always been the wild card amongst miraculous. Both a trickster and a protector. However, even since ancient times, the cat has been a mystical being, often related to gods. The black cat specifically, has been related to witchcraft. Now, while there are many kinds of witchcraft, the most common and probably the most powerful and dangerous is…"

"Oracles." Adrien finished, hearing all that he needed too.

"Yes. The cat miraculous, when the final fight with a great foe is drawing near, will allow for sight as to the outcome of the coming conflict. I do not need to know what you see but know that the future is never set in stone."

Adrien sat back on his hands, lost in thought about his visions and how he has a chance to change them. If only he knew why Marinette was involved…

Marinette looked out the window, lost in her own thoughts during a boring lecture. Her eyes caught a glimmer of blonde hair dipping around the corner of the school, quickly disappearing from sight.

'strange,' she thought 'Adrien never slips his driver. His father would have his hide.' She stood up, gathering her things, and stepped out of the lecture hall, intent on following the boy,

Just as she made it to the back of the school, where Adrien was headed, she saw him leap over the fence with uncanny agility. Using her superior intellect, she moved to the back gate of the school, seeing him once again disappear out of her sight, into a dark alleyway, headed for the downtown area of Paris.

Keeping a close eye to following him with substantial distance, she pondered to herself about what had him in such a hurry. He then followed a path that she had taken before, and the doubts that had once plagued her mind began to return with a vengeance. Only when she was certain to his destination did she allow them to come to thought.

'Holy crap.' She thought as he stepped into Master Fu's little flat in the middle of the city.

"what is this." She whispered as she stashed her bag in the mailbox outside, quietly following him inside, and waiting just outside the door so as to listen into their conversation.

"yes, the holder of the black cat miraculous usually has visions…" she heard from inside, sending shivers up her spine.

Adrien was Chat Noir

Quickly, she made her way out of the house, all sense of stealth thrown out the window. Behind her, she heard the door thrown open, but she was out of sight before he could see her.

Re-tracing her steps back home, she struggled to keep the tears in her eyes as she flew up the stairs to her room, throwing herself onto her bed and hugging her pillow for dear life.

"Why are you crying Marinette?" her sweet kwami, Tikki asked her. Marinette looked at the floating ladybug with a smile, unsure of the answer herself. Tikki floated gracefully to hug Marinettes face, and they stayed there for a moment, basking in the emotionally charged discovery.

Once the tears had subsided, Marinette sat herself up and moved over to her desk drawer, pulling it open, and taking out one of her last remaining photos of Adrien, as most didn't survive her purge of rage.

"Oh Tikki, why didn't I see it sooner?" she asked herself mournfully. 'and now he has found someone else, someone at my school no less.'

Laying back on her bed, holding the photo above her, she thought of how she was going to let Adrien know that she knew.

"What is it Adrien?" Master Fu asked, surprised by the boy's sudden movement

"It's… nothing." Adrien responded, swearing that he heard hurried movement. Closing the door once again, he sat down at the table and poured himself another cup of tea.

"Master… I know you didn't want to hear about my visions, but I need some closure. I hope you can provide me with some insight into why I'm seeing what I am, and how I can possibly change it."

The pair sat in tranquil silence for just a moment, Fu's eyes closed in contemplation.

"Yes… I suppose you must have many questions. The last holder was older than you are when he had his first visions and was facing a much lesser threat. Share your visions with me Adrien, and perhaps I can help."

Adrien sat up, ready for whatever he had to say.

"It's a girl in my class. Every time I space out, I see her."

Master Fu let out a hearty laugh, "Are you sure you aren't simply daydreaming?"

"No master, because I'm at her funeral. Her name is Marinette, and I have no idea why _that _would be the outcome of this conflict. I'm sure she has nothing to do with all of this."

Master Fu's eyes widened, recognizing the name immediately.

"Are you sure you weren't followed?" He asked out of the blue, making Adrien wonder whether or not he was simply hearing things or if there was somebody outside earlier.

"I don't know." Adrien admitted, ashamed with himself.

"Fret not. However, I believe your counterpart was outside just now."

"Ladybug?" Adrien seemed shocked. He had no idea that she was someone who even knew him.

"Yes, which means that she now knows your identity. I would inform you of hers, but she is smart enough to know that having this information one sided is even more dangerous than sharing it between the two of you. I will be in contact, but you two will meet tonight and sort this out."

Master Fu gestured Adrien out of the room, leaving very little room for discussion. Standing in the street outside of the house, staring at the now setting sun, Adrien vowed to himself that tonight he would find some answers. Even if they weren't the ones he wanted to hear.


	3. Chapter 3

**The Beginning of the End**

Chapter 3

_The tombstone is a gentle granite. Simple, yet elegant. Just like how she was, Elegant and graceful. She would always have my back, even when everything seemed lost. Her and that yoyo of hers, always getting me out of trouble. God damn it, if I had only been faster… smarter. She was always the brains of our little team, and I was just… reckless._

_I look at Master Fu, who nods at me one last time, knowing that he will have to find new holders for both miraculous. Deciding it was time to take my leave as well, I take one last look at the tombstone._

_Marinette Dupain-Cheng_

_Date of Birth: October 21, 2003_

_Date of death:_

Ladybug sat on top of the Eiffel tower, wondering why she was summoned here. There were no akumatizations tonight, and Master Fu had summoned her here specifically. Typically when they need to meet, they meet out of costume and at his house, but tonight felt different. Her mind started to wander, drifting to earlier today, overhearing the conversation between Adrien and Master.

"When was I going to figure that out?" She wondered to herself aloud, now realizing the striking similarities between the two identities. The messy blonde hair, the green eyes, the muscular body…

Her mind seemed to work independently of her own will, drifting farther back into her memories, to their senior year of high school. Remembering the embarrassment she faced as she was outvoted for valedictorian by none other than Chloe.

"You really thought you would win, over me? My father is the mayor, he only needed to pull a few strings and it was mine. You didn't stand a chance from the start."

That graduation assembly wasn't all bad though, remembering Adriens speech at the podium. His words rolled off his tongue like he was a pastor speaking to his congregation. Those words not only resonated with her, but with every single one of her classmates as well. In comparison, Chloe's speech was lacklustre and required considerable work.

That memory is now bittersweet, as not a week later was when she decided to move on from the boy whom she held so dearly, though he would never know it.

Until tonight.

She leaned against the railing, overlooking the bright city, and all of the lights still lit. How many of these livelihoods has she saved? How many of these people were eternally grateful, for either saving them or one of their loved ones? You do this for long enough, and soon everyone knows of your exploits, or has been directly effected by your efforts. Still lost in though, a subconscious smile drifted on to her face.

'even if things change tonight, the work we've done and will continue to do will never change.'

She was so entranced with pride and fulfillment that she didn't hear chats telltale pole as he landed gracefully behind her.

"Evening m'lady. It's a nice night." Adrien said in his typical flirtatious fashion. Not hearing him, he walked up to her, coming to rest on the bar beside her, snapping her out of her blank stare.

"What were you thinking about?" He asked, genuinely curious as to what would occupy her mind and cause such a pure smile on her face.

"Just the past." She responded mournfully. "I was thinking back to a memory from high school, if you can believe it."

Adrien was taken aback with this. High school had been a good time for him, though he knew that for some it hadn't. He had always assumed that such a brave and talented girl had it easy in high school.

"Really? Anything in specific?"

"Yeah, I was thinking about graduation. The feeling I had that I would finally leave behind some of the people who never had anything for me but harsh words and venom. I guess I was naive, because not a week later one of those same people found one last way to hurt me."

Adrien looked at his partner, thinking back to his own graduation.

"Well, I had a pretty good run in high school. I was even valedictorian of my class."

"I'm sure you were, kitty." She giggled, thinking back to how handsome he looked in his suit, a simple red and black. One of his fathers top of the line suits no less.

"Oh yeah. I guess I was kind of a hot shot." Chat rubbed the back of his head bashfully, thinking back to that moment in the park. He considered it a fond memory, his first kiss. It was a good one. He has had many since then, but none with the person he considered to be the most beautiful in his current class.

"Yeah…" Marinette responded.

"Ok. I can tell when something is bothering you, m'lady. Would you care to share?"

She looked up and the black clad man before her, wondering if she was making the right decision.

"Alright Chat. You get your wish. I would like to play a game first."

His ears perked up at this, "I love games! What are we playing?"

"My version of twenty questions. I ask say facts about you and I, and you try… to figure out who I am."

His look suddenly got very serious, as this was something he had been waiting for.

"First," She began. "You were wearing a red and black suit for your valedictorian speech."

Adrien was puzzled. The only people who saw him in that were people who were actually at the ceremony.

"So, you were in my class. Which means you're the same age as me."

She nodded. "Second. You had your first kiss with Lyla in the park by our school, just about a week after said graduation."

Now he was confused. Nobody else was there, and if anyone was watching he would have been able to tell. He looked at this girl, trying her best not to cry.

"Third." She pressed on. "You were a model for my art class earlier this week, before that last big Akuma fight."

His eyes narrowed. She was getting more specific, as that class only had 15 people in it. Although most of them were females, it certainly shrunk the pool of possibilities.

"M'lady… you don't have to do this." He whispered as she stepped closer.

"Fourth… you had a conversation with Master Fu earlier today, where he called you by name."

He froze. She had information on him that he hadn't gotten yet.

"So you did listen in. You run fast, even when you aren't in costume." He steeped his mind, thinking about who it could be, his heart racing.

"Fifth, last chance." She took a steadying breath.

She locked up for a moment before finally taking off her mask.

"I had a crush on you for years, and you were oblivious to it for all this time, Adrien."

She tried to make a run for it, throwing her mask back on as she quickly made her way across the terrace. However, in a swift movement, He was right in front of her once more.

"Marinette…" He whispered, tears streaming down both of their faces. She stared up at him, thinking that this was a bad idea, and that she should have kept this information a secret.

They took off their miraculous costumes, standing in front of one another, struck by the realization of everything that has happened so far. Adrien was the first one to speak.

"So… Are you disappointed it's me?" He tenderly asked while wiping the tears from her face.

She shook her head, her gaze dropping to her feet for a moment before Adrien gently grabbed her chin, lifting it to meet him once again.

"Then why the tears? Surely this is a good thing, now there's no more secrets, m'lady."

"I could ask the same thing of you, you stupid cat." Marinette said, now noticing the tears in his own eyes.

"Mari… these aren't tears of sadness. I'm so happy that its you. That it's been you all this time."

Silently, without another word, Marinette rose up on the balls of her feet, closing her eyes as Adrien dipped down to meet her lips with his.

It was electric, but serene. Only for a moment, the world stopped turning and all of the evils they've fought up to this point and all the ones to come suddenly stopped existing, and they were just two young adults who have finally found each other.

Finally, they broke apart, the tears stopping from both of them before a long embrace, her head resting on his toned chest, feeling his strong heartbeat and steady breathing. She finally remembered why she had felt so much love for this boy. Not his looks or his charm, but the way that he made her feel.

And that was exactly why she couldn't feel this again, but she would enjoy revelling in this feeling for tonight.

"I guess this is why Fu called us both out here." mumbled Marinette, sinking into the heat that he gave off.

"Yeah. You already knew who I was, so I guess it was my turn, and I have to say: I definitely prefer this than listening into a conversation behind closed doors." Adrien crooned, stroking his hand through Marinettes soft hair, letting a low rumbling purr escape from his chest.

Together, they suited up again, Adrien offering to accompany Marinette home, to which she accepted, knowing that she would much prefer some company tonight.

They flew thought the cool night air, the moonlight guiding their way, glances being exchanged with wide smiles. They had both decided that, for tonight, Paris didn't need their vigilantes looking out for all hours of the night.

"Slowly now…" Marinette whispered to herself while opening up the rooftop door to her bedroom, which has become quite handy since she became one of Paris's defenders. Quietly, they slip inside Marinettes room, and she lays out a thick blanket for her new companion to spend the night on.

They spend hours talking and quietly laughing as they share old stories from missions in the past, and how ridiculous that it was each other the whole time. Some of them causing one to blush while the other contains their laughter. While those two were enjoying each others company, leaving no stone unturned in their pasts, the two kwamis, finally relieved that the secret is out, share snacks by a single candle.

When it was time to go to sleep, they shared one more loving kiss and Marinette quickly fell asleep, running her thumb over the callouses on Adriens hand, both from his extensive fencing training and all his time as chat noir.

Adrien felt more relaxed tonight than he had in many moons, the stress of school, his father, and those damned visions making his sleep schedule much like a pixelated bullet hell. Chaotic, to say the least. He closed his eyes, thinking that tonight changed everything, yet nothing at all. He had always known deep down that he had loved this girl, both with and without the mask.

Marinette slept well that night, doing just as she promised and took in every second of this amazing feeling, knowing that it wouldn't last. 'I'll tell him tomorrow. Lying to him would be worse than letting this go on.'

_It was him. Hawkmoth, but he was different. His body was distorted and he seemed far more powerful than before. His eyes were glowing like gas torches, a bright white to contrast his dark attire._

'_Shit, we aren't making any progress, he just has this endless supply of power.'_

_Her broken body, lying on the floor, surrounded by little white shit-faced butterflies._

_That Laugh_

Adrien woke in a sweat, breathing heavily, which he quickly steadied. His hand was still interlaced with hers, and she was sleeping like an angel.

That was why he had to go. So they could spend more nights like this, without the threat of disaster around every corner.

He slowly got up and woke Plagg from his slumber, a finger to his mouth, informing the mischievous little kwami to stay quiet. He left the same way they got in that night, through the door that went to the roof. It was still the early hours of the morning, leaving plenty of time for him to go searching.

"Plagg, claws out."

With that simple chant, he was off. Springing from roof to roof with a newfound vigour, a fire burning in his chest, more fiercely than ever before.

"Don't worry m'lady," he vowed "Nobody is going to hurt you. Not while I'm around to say anything about it."


	4. Chapter 4

**The Beginning of the End**

Chapter 4

Marinette woke softly, feeling more rested than she had in months. Remembering last night, she rolled to the other side of her bed, looking for the boy responsible for her peaceful slumber, but he was gone. Assuming that he had gone home after she had fallen asleep, she got herself up. School wouldn't wait for her or anyone else. Her morning went as expected, grabbing some freshly baked buns before she left, eating one as she went.

She got to class, her journey being uneventful, Alya waiting for her by the doors to the school, bringing back memories from high school. Walking to class, her tech savvy friend commented on how good she looked. Marinette immediately dismissed this as from a good nights sleep, which wasn't entirely false.

She got to her first class a few minutes early, expecting Adrien to be there, excited to see him again. He wasn't there. The minutes passed until class was just about to start, when he came panting through the doorway.

"Made it…" he gasped, clearly winded by his run from his house to the school, which is farther than Marinette had to walk this morning.

He sat down, his exhaustion from the night before catching up to him. He had barely gotten home with enough time to shower and brush his teeth before he had to go to school the following morning.

The class was mundane, the teacher lecturing on and on about what should have been an interesting subject, but for Adrien, it flew in one ear and out the other as he fell asleep sitting up. For Marinette, her attention was directed elsewhere. Adrien looked like he had been hit by a bus; massive purple bags were forming under his eyes and he had bruises on his knuckles. These weren't fighting bruises, but ones of frustration, punching a wall when he hit yet another dead end.

'That looks bad… what the hell happened?' Thoughts raced through her mind as she inspected the boy. His breathing was labored, not to mention his jeans had what looked like blood on them. She could tell that he did something stupid last night, maybe something inherently dangerous, and she vowed that she would uncover the truth behind his injuries.

Class ended, and she knew that he had nothing until the afternoon, so Marinette grabbed his arm the instant that they left the classroom and dragged him down the hallway to a sound-proof practice room found in the music faculty.

"Care to tell me what happened? You look like shit." Adrien lowered his head, a storm of emotions building up inside. He knew that she would notice his injuries, maybe even figure out what he was doing. It would only take time. He knew that lying to her wouldn't do him any favors and would curse himself for the rest of his days if he ever lied to her again, so the truth was the path to follow.

"I… was out hunting. I had a nightmare and decided to blow off some steam."

Marinette was stunned. "And this nightmare was horrible enough that you would just run off and get yourself killed?" He could tell that she was angry. Yet, he also knew that all forms of anger come from a place of fear, but he was scared too.

"You don't know what I saw!"

"So that just gives you the right to be a reckless dumbass?!"

Everything stopped for a moment. Adrien had exploded, and so had she. All the fear of losing each other, of his visions, and of the consequences from revealing themselves came boiling up to a flashpoint. Adrien collapsed to the floor, tears coming once again from his eyes.

"Hey… I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you, I was just so scared when you came into class today. Tell me about your nightmare, maybe that can help me understand." Marinette joined him on the floor, pulling him into a warm embrace. He was shaking, his hands on the floor, his eyes staring into the basic pattern in the carpet.

"It's not just nightmares. Master Fu… He told me that the black cat can have visions of the coming conflict. Specifically, the end of the conflict. The aftermath mostly, but last night I saw some of the fight itself. Us against… him."

His shaking started to die down, his heart rate slowing as she ran her hands through his freshly washed hair. He sat back onto his feet, welcoming Marinettes embrace gratefully.

"What do you see in these visions?" Adrien hugged her tighter, the visceral memories flooding back to him.

"You. I see you."

Marinette giggled a little. "it sounds to me like you've just been dreaming about me kitty."

Adriens grip tightened further, ready to accept her help.

"No… These aren't even close to dreams. It's you… at your funeral."

Marinette pulled back and locked her own eyes with his forest green. The sadness and grief that plagued him was tangible, and she realised exactly how much she meant to him. She leaned forward, sharing in his melancholy, pressing her forehead against his, her hands cupping his tear stained face.

"Enough crying, I'm right here. Ok? I'm not going anywhere."

Together, on the floor of that small practice room, Marinettes spark that she had felt creeping up on her turned into a small flame, heating her from the inside out. Filling her with enough joy and relief that she could no longer snuff out the feelings that she had been struggling with for so long. The boy that she had loved for so long had turned into a loyal partner, and now…

"Let's go get lunch." Marinette whispered, wiping the last of the tears from Adriens face, kissing him on the tip of his nose, lifting his chin to meet her gaze. She could have sworn she heard a purr from the flirtatious cat before her but dismissed it as an auditory hallucination.

Today was going great for the most part. This could be clearly seen by the bright smile that radiated from Marinette as she walked hand in hand down the hallway with Adrien. Her joy was contagious, making Adrien and anybody else who saw them smile, smile in return, happy to be alive.

That was, until a girl in red became infuriated, seeing the two of them so happy. Together.

'Not on my fucking watch.'

Lila stepped in front of them, an intense fury burning in her dull green eyes. Stopping in their tracks, groaning in their minds, they stepped around her, trying to continue their path down the hallway, before she finally spoke up.

"Adrien, _what _exactly are you doing with this little slut?"

Marinette gripped his hand, a warning to him, telling him not to start anything. Calmly, Adrien responded. "I don't know who you're talking about, Lila. I don't think anybody here falls into that category."

This only pushed Lila farther, turning her attention to Marinette instead.

"He is mine. I'm the one he shared his first kiss with. You are just a substitution, a stand in for me while he makes up his mind. He will come back to me, and you will be left behind like a used condom."

Lila shoved Marinette, causing her to tumble to the floor while she wrapped herself around Adriens arm, taking the place of the pigtailed girl who was there not moments earlier. Visibly disgusted, Adrien quickly pulled himself away and helped Marinette up.

"You're pushing it Lila. I told you, that was a one-time thing, and we _aren't _together. Apologise, now."

Lila made no move to do so, instead stepping forward, her hand coming crashing across Marinettes face, the slap ringing through the hallways as clear as a gunshot. Seeing Marinette on the floor again, a bright red handprint forming on the side of her face, sent Adrien over the edge.

"You bitch! The only slut I see here is you, sleeping with any guy who falls for your lies and gives you the time of day. Or rather, night. So far, I have never seen you with anybody during the day. I think their scared of contracting the clap by holding your hand. If you're done being a hypocrite, then take your rank ass elsewhere. I'm done playing around. If I even hear of you hurting Mari again, then she won't be the one you're fighting, it will be me."

The outburst was a long time coming, and everybody knew that. The volatile mixture of college stress, his home situation, and Lila constantly trying to get with him had violently erupted into a rage that could only be described as terrifying. Lila shrugged, turning on her heel and striding down the hallway, back the way that Adrien and Marinette had come from.

Marinette was still recovering from the show of force that Lila had inflicted on her, sitting on the floor, silent tears stinging her eyes, her face starting to burn. Adrien knelt, offering his hand again to help her up. Silently, she rejected it and stood on her own, the shame of causing trouble for him starting to sink into her stomach.

"M'lady?"

The two lovers went their separate ways, Marinette getting some ice as her face was starting to swell, and Adrien heading to the gym on campus to blow off some steam on the punching bag. Wearing nothing but some hand wraps, he pushed through the pain of last night, hitting the heavy sand over and over again, with all of his strength. Music blaring in his earbuds, he went round after round with his imaginary opponents, mixing in elbows and kicks into his combinations, his emotions riding so high that he channeled some of his miraculous power, his final roundhouse kick splitting the bag wide open. As he sat down, watching the sand flow out of the now ruined bag, he felt his frustration subside, his heart pounding in his chest, sweat dripping down his back.

"Jesus man, what got you in a twist?"

Nino had a funny way of completely surprising him, showing up just when he needed him most. Adrien turned around to see his friend picking up a set of free weights in his hands, a look of concern and confusion splashed across his face. Standing up and wiping his forehead, Adrien blew it off as "home stuff."

The end of the day came around without much more incident, Marinette and Adrien sharing glances at each other throughout their next few classes. When the time came to go home, Adrien returned the earlier favor by kissing Marinette on the forehead on the steps of the school, earning cheers and whoops from the nearby students.

Marinette got home safely, the swelling in her face having subsided. Tikki came zipping out of her bag, landing in front of her on her desk as she fiddled with a pen.

"How long do you intend to lead him on Marinette?" She stopped her fidgeting, looking at the curious, yet invasive little kwami before her. She leaned back in her chair, trying to find the words to bring understanding of her emotions to the miniature ladybug before her.

"I don't think I'm leading him on anymore, Tikki. After today, and after everything that's happened in the past few days… I don't know. I feel more in tune with him than I ever have before. I used to idolise him, and I thought that it might have just been a celebrity crush, but now I'm not so sure."

The kwami still looked confused, so Marinette continued. "After finding out that Adrien was Chat Noir, and revealing myself to him and confessing, I think I've come to terms with the fact that I still love him. It never really died." She reached across the desk to the memorable photo she kept of him, a smile gently spreading across her lips.

"So, I'm going to stay with Adrien. Lila is one of the hottest girls in our year, but he still wants me. Yeah, Lila might be… Free spirited, but nonetheless, he chose me. I don't think it's just because I'm Ladybug either. Looking into his eyes, and hearing his visions, his feelings are true. If they weren't, he wouldn't have exploded like he did today. Cats can be defensive of their partners; god knows I've seen it enough times as Ladybug. Today was just like that, but different. I don't know Tikki."

The two of them shared a laugh over Marinettes rambling and good fortune, breaking out macaroons for an after school snack before Marinette put her nose to the grindstone once more, sketching up new designs for a line she is working on.

Adrien threw his bag onto his bed, launching himself onto his chair, spinning around like a small child.

"What's got you so happy? Did you find a new brand of camembert?!" Plagg gasped, the cheese obsessed cat flying over to Adrien.

"Even better Plagg: I've fallen in love. For real this time."

"Oh god…"

Adrien stopped his spinning, looking outside at the gorgeous orange sunset. "Yeah… She has me burning up inside. I can't control my own feelings when she is around. She has me reacting in ways I never thought I would be. That's exactly why I need to keep her as close as I can, because I can't lose her."

He stood from his chair, moving to the windows that covered half of his room, his mind wandering to his visions, the events of today, and her. The beautiful sunset fading into the violet sky had him feeling better than he thought he would be at the end of the day.

"Its amazing. She's amazing, Plagg. I never thought that after all this time, it would be her. I've seen her grow, both as Ladybug and Marinette, and I guess I slowly fell for Marinette. When she revealed herself, all the feelings I had been ignoring came flooding through my body. I feel like I could take on the world, just to see her smile like she did that night."

Plagg just shrugged, popping back another slice of cheese. "Eh, I guess man. Don't let it distract you from the missions though. It's getting harder and harder to put these things down."

"I know. If anything, it makes me even more confident that I'll be able to continue doing my work as Chat. I read somewhere that a man with something to protect is a powerful enemy. Wouldn't you say so?"

The two stood there in silence, watching the sun finish its light show, the night rolling over the horizon. Stars winking into existence like the creation of new worlds, shining through the twilight, as powerful as the feelings he had inside of him.

Together, on opposite sides of the city, two people were having the same vision of a beautiful starlit sky. Keeping the fire they held aloft together burning would be an invaluable asset in the coming days, with doom creeping around the corner. Tonight, however, the city slept peacefully as the two were filled with hope and relief, knowing that they were stronger together.


	5. Chapter 5

**The Beginning of the End**

Chapter 5

'_Damm, it's the same thing over again.'_

_It's different this time. I'm not in my own body this time. It's like I'm a free roaming camera in a video game. I can move freely, not restrained by my own corporeal form._

_I see Hawkmoth, bending over Marinettes broken body, as grotesque as it was last time. Wait._

_It's Marinette this time. Not Ladybug._

_There's no costume on her._

_Hawkmoth straightens up, her precious earrings in his grasp. He Laughs, triumphant at last._

_That demonic laugh._

_He removes his mask, preparing to put on the earrings, and I see him. His real face, and…_

'_Father?'_

Adrien woke in a sweat, his breathing heavy and ragged. Immediately he got up and sprinted to the bathroom, emptying his stomach of whatever bile was left over from his dinner. He looked in the mirror, the horror of his last vision finally sinking in.

"Why..." He asked. Whether or not he was asking himself, his bastard father, or God, remained unknown to him. He threw on some clothes that he had laid out for the next day and grabbed his travel bag. He reached into the drawers in his room, waking his lazy kwami from his slumber as he packed enough clothes to live with for the foreseeable future.

"What are you doing Adrien? It's 4am…"

He didn't answer, and instead grabbed the floating cat and shoved him in the bag as well.

"I can't stay here Plagg. I already hated this place, but it feels more like a cage than ever." He zipped up his bag and slung it over his shoulder, opting to take his window exit as the doors were probably alarmed.

Gracefully landing on the grass below him, he took one last look up at the building he had called home for all his life, knowing that the next time he would be here is when he finally put an end to Hawkmoth.

"I need somewhere to stay. Nino should still be awake. Friday night? Yeah, he's up playing video games." He punched in his number, walking down the street at a brisk pace towards his best friends house.

"Dude, what's up? Isn't it like…"

"4am? Yeah. Hey Nino, I need to stay at your place for a few days, maybe longer. Can we make it happen?"

The silence was deafening. From over the phone, Adrien heard Nino sigh, sealing his fate.

"Sorry man, my family from out of town is staying the weekend, otherwise I would totally let you use the guest room. You gonna be ok?"

Adrien smiled, knowing his friend would worry to no end if he didn't have a plan already in place. He didn't, but Nino didn't need to know that.

"Yeah man, I'll be fine. I've got other places lined up, don't you even worry about me."

Adrien hung up without a second thought, racking his brain trying to think of somewhere to stay. Winter came quickly in Paris, and the wind was ripping through the meager coat he had brought with him. If he had known he would be outside tonight for very long, he would have packed differently. Then it hit him. It was risky, but he had few other options.

He clicked on the heart emoji contact, steeling himself for the colossal favor he was about to ask. Pressing call, he debated just spending the night outside. She picked up not moments after the call went through.

"Adrien? What's wrong, are you ok?"

Just hearing her voice brought some heat into him, giving him the courage to do what needed to be done.

"Good morning, M'lady. Yeah, I'm ok. Just a little shaken up, and I kind of had to run away from home. Is there any way I could spend the night at your house? Just until morning, then I can be out of your hair."

Marinette sat bolt upright in her bed, a crimson blush spreading feverishly across her face. Looking at the state of her room after a creative storm, panic started to set in.

"Yeah, sure, come on over. Hey, how far away are you?"

"Not far, maybe 3 minutes? I'm just down the block. Why?"

She jumped out of bed, immediately making a plan for how she was going to clear this mess. If he was just down the road, she needed to be quick.

"A-Alright. Let yourself in the usual way, fire escape is around back. My parents aren't home for the weekend, so its fine if you stay for a while."

She hung up, throwing her phone on her bed and started frantically throwing things into their respective spots. Desk. Chest. Dresser. She was just finishing picking up her sewing kit when she heard a seductive voice from behind her.

"I didn't know you wanted it to be _that _kind of night, purrincess."

She whipped around, almost slapping the boy standing behind her, until she looked down and realised she was still in her sleeping clothes; a simple white bra and panties.

Tossing the sewing kit at him and shrieking, she scrambled for clothes, putting on one of her oversized shirts and a pair of sweatpants. Overturned by the heartfelt laughter of the boy who got more than he expected, she stood glaring at him, as red as a tomato.

"Don't worry Mari, I didn't see much. I thought It was really cute." Adrien put his bag on the floor, and started preparing to make his bed, grabbing the roll out mattress from the closet. The same one he had used last time. Keeping his intentions pure, he hung his coat on the door handle and climbed into his little nest of blankets and pillows.

Marinette turned off the neon lights she had turned on by remote, throwing the room into darkness, nothing but the sound of each others breathing letting them know that the other was there. The steady breathing of Adrien helped Marinette fall into time, her heart slowing down from the shock not five minutes earlier.

"Adrien…"

"Yeah?"

Marinette was glad the lights were off, as she could feel her face burning up.

"Could you… come here?"

She could hear Adrien shifting around the blankets he was wrapped in, his feet softly hitting the floor. She felt her mattress depress as he climbed over her and laid down behind her, his arm softly wrapping around her waist.

The shared heat from the two of them quickly got their hearts racing, almost so loud that you could hear it. Adrien thought it might be entertaining to see how flustered he could get her, so in classical Adrien style, he used his free hand to move her hair out of the way and lightly kissed her on the neck.

She could feel the softness of his lips brush her skin, just for a moment. Then again, slightly farther toward the side of her neck. She exhaled through her mouth, her nerves firing faster than she could react, her stomach filled with butterflies. The hand on her waist slowly tracing circles on her hips, she could barely contain herself while rolling over to face the troublemaker.

"Not tonight you sly cat." She whispered, kissing him deeply and passionately, the fervor being returned almost instantly. Once they broke apart, she thought it safer if she nestled into the space between his chest and his chin, her ear pressed against his chest. The two of them quickly fell asleep, their breathing putting each other under the spell before either of them knew it.

Morning arrived with the two of them still snuggled as they had fallen asleep. Waking up with the morning sun, Marinette tried waking her sleeping prince with a sleepy kiss. Adrien, however, remained asleep. Getting up carefully, so as not to wake him, she went down to the kitchen and started making breakfast.

She was just about done when the sleepy boy came groggily stepping down the stairs.

"Morning. I guess you slept pretty well, huh?"

"Morning. Yeah, like a rock." Adrien rubbed his eyes, still reeling from last nights earlier vision. He sat down at the table and stared off into space, having trouble coming to terms with the new information. This was obviously displayed on his face.

"Is it about why you had to run away last night? You can talk to me you know."

She could see right through him, though he wasn't exactly making it difficult. Still, her ability to read people could be downright scary sometimes. At these words, Adrien felt himself start to shut down, putting his feet up on his chair, wrapping his arms around his knees.

"I had another vision last night. It woke me up. It was more of the fight, or rather, Soon before the fight was over."

Marinette brought a hot pan full of eggs and bacon over to the table, putting it on a hot plate, and devoting her full attention to Adriens vision.

"And? What happened?"

"More of the same, but… I saw him. Under the mask." Adriens breathing started to get heavier. He has no family except for his father, and now he lost him too.

"Who is it?" Marinette inquired, knowing by his reaction that the answer wasn't something good, despite having information on their greatest opponent.

"It's him Marinette… It's my father."

The air grew cold with the arrival of his words, making this would be magical morning turn to something dark and unwelcome. She stood from her chair moving closer to Adrien, putting her arms around him and his head in her chest, soothing him as she would a child. This comfort and the weight suddenly lifted from his shoulders send a wave of sobs through his body. Uncontrollable, heaving sobs that were seemingly endless.

"It's ok… I'm right here. We don't have to do anything right away; we can take the weekend off. The akuma attacks have been slowing down, and my parents aren't home until Monday or later, so we can just spend the entire weekend together. How does that sound?"

The crying had subsided, Marinettes scent calming him down considerably, and the promise of a good weekend had helped pull him from the valley of despair that he had been sliding into at an alarming rate.

"That sounds good. I'd really like that."

They ate their breakfast, which was spectacular, and rounded off their morning with some leftover buns from their week at the bakery and some hot Paris coffee. They decided that today would be a lazy day, taking until 2pm to both get showered and dressed, morning naps on the couch slowing their progress.

They then went shopping, picking up necessities for Adrien, which he had left behind in his rushed packing. Toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, razors. They had filled a basket of things that he would need for a prolonged stay at the Dupain-Cheng residence. Adrien still had use of his credit card, so he paid for both the supplies and a nice dinner at a nearby sushi restaurant.

Expecting nothing less of Adrien, Marinette was still surprised by the dinner. It was candlelit, and the sushi was of the highest quality. Their hunger satiated, they returned to their base of operations. Marinette quickly whipped up a jar with fun things to do over the weekend, and Adrien drew first. It was one of his entries to the jar, and one which Marinette had dreaded since he wrote it down. Just her luck that he would draw "scary movie night" on the first draw.

They settled in the living room, with a large flat screen in front of them and one of the fluffiest blankets in the house wrapped around their shoulders. Marinette had despised horror movies since she was a kid and jumped at anything that moved for the entire duration. The movie wasn't even inherently scary, Adrien had made sure to pick a movie that was portrayed and labeled as horror but was as tame as any other fantasy movie.

Still, any time something new appeared on screen, or the camera did something unexpected, her hug around Adriens torso tightened, nearly killing during some parts. He helped save himself during one of the scariest parts by surprising her with a kiss, which turned into many. By the time they were satisfied with each other, the worst had passed.

The night didn't go as smoothly, with Adrien waking up at an ungodly hour with another vision. This time, he was prepared, and managed to control himself before waking up the sleeping girl beside him. He knew that he needed to be stronger, both physically and mentally if they were to stand a chance against their greatest foe.

So the weekend passed, breakfast, lazy mornings, and nighttime activities. On their Monday night, school being dismissed for the day, they had decided to go to a carnival together. They both enjoyed the jugglers and tightrope walkers, Marinette jumping out of her skin when they had feigned falling. The night was perfect, finished with a bow as they shared a loving kiss under the festival's nightly fireworks. This went unnoticed by many of the attendees, but not by the best reporter in Paris.

They were exhausted by the time they had gotten home, talking the entire way about their experience, laughing at the silliest things. The memories forged over this weekend wouldn't soon be forgotten by either of them, no matter what happened. They fell asleep the moment their heads touched the pillows and for the first time in what felt like weeks, Adrien slept through the night with pleasant dreams.

School resumed the following day, meaning that they had to wake up and be out of the house before they were properly woken up. This was soon changed when they stepped out the door to a young woman, investigative in nature, holding her camera at the bottom of the steps. Marinettes heart stopped in her chest, while Adrien scratched the back of his head in a nervous chuckle. Marinette was sure that they weren't followed back together, but it seemed that nothing could stop this woman.

"Girl! When were you going to tell me about this?! You have a lot of explaining to do, so meet me after class. Both of you."

Alya, it seemed, had seen them at the carnival, and was now standing outside her door, the most triumphant smile on her face that Marinette had ever seen.


	6. Chapter 6

**The Beginning of the End**

Chapter 6

Dread. This was what filled Marinette as the class slowly came to an end, though faster than she would have preferred. As the class was dismissed, she packed up her things, throwing her bag around her shoulders. As soon as she stepped out of the doorway, her arm was grabbed by her best friend in the whole world, Alya.

"It's explaining time." She chimed, dragging her down the hallway to a private study room, Adrien already sitting inside.

"Man, it was hard to get the both of you here at the same time. Your class schedules are almost completely out of sync on Tuesdays."

Marinette sighed and sat down in the chair beside Adrien, Alya sitting across from them as though this were an interview. Or rather, an interrogation.

"So, we don't have a lot of time, so I'll cut to the chase. Why were you two together at Marinettes last night?"

The simple answer would have been to say that Adrien had more home issues and had to leave, which wouldn't have been wrong, but it felt like lying to the talented reporter. The two lovers turned to each other, knowing that the complete truth would be a better option.

"This doesn't leave this room, Rena Rouge."

Now it was Alyas turn to be stressed. How did they know her identity? Then the pieces started to click into place. The hair color, body shape, and the chemistry between the two of them.

"Holy shit. You two are…"

"The wanted vigilantes? Yeah. That's us. Probably not the grand reveal that you wanted, but I think we're going to need your help again. Soon."

Alya straightened up, keeping her eyes locked on the ally sitting across from her.

"Whenever you need us, Rena and Carapace are here to help. What's the situation?"

"We figured out who Hawkmoth is. It's a long story, but the short version is that its-"

"My father."

It's chilling, how a simple sentence can change the atmosphere in the room so quickly and effectively. Alya sat back in her chair, eyes closed, wrapping her head around the horrible news that they seem to have come to terms with.

"Oh Adrien… I always knew he was a dick, but now I know that it's worse than I thought."

Adrien got up smoothly, mumbling something about "Fencing practice." Leaving the two friends alone in a quiet room, a desk between them.

"So, do you have a plan?"

The two of them spent the rest of the lunch hour in a rapid pace, serious debate. Marinette bouncing ideas off her friend's genius mind, keeping the intensity just as high, developing a devilishly simple plan to end this before it even has a chance to start.

Adrien plugged in his earbuds, turning his music up to eleven, stalking down the hallway like a cat going hunting. Keeping his head clear, he went back to the gym. This had been his home for stress relief when he wasn't at Marinettes. Once again, he wrapped his hands and put on his gloves, making his way to the brand new punching bag suspended from the ceiling.

Staying focused, he worked on his hand to hand technique; his most recent vision showed him completely unarmed against his father. He wished that he had a sparring partner who could give him a challenge, but the only other person he knew who could even keep up with his potent techniques was Marinette, and he could never go full strength against her. So, the bag will have to do for now.

Over and over again, for hours, he drilled on the bag, using every weapon in his arsenal against the helpless, lifeless bag. He only stopped when he realised that blood was soaking through his clean white hand wraps and both of his elbows were split open. Every muscle in his body burned as he took off his gloves and wraps, letting the blood flow. Water was out of the question, as anything he put in his body would just come right back up again.

He left the gym, having missed his only other class for the day, and waited for Marinette by the front doors, bandages now covering his hands and arms. One of the useful quirks about his own miraculous is that his natural healing had been increased by a significant factor. His wounds would be healed by the time tomorrow morning rolled around, but Marinette would be worried about him nonetheless.

Seeing her walk out of that building, the widest smile on her face, made him forget about all the tragedy that has come about over the past few days, and the tragedy yet to come. As predicted, as soon as she saw the fresh bandages on his arms, her smile turned sour as she rushed over to meet him.

"What the hell happened? I thought you said you were going to fencing, not fighting a bear!"

"I'm sorry, M'lady. I needed to get some things straight in my head, and that involved taking out some emotions on the punching bag. Little did I know that they got a better one, harder on the skin. I'll be fine, I promise."

He apologised further by planting a light kiss on her cheek, reminding her that her opinion mattered greatly to him, and that he never wanted to have her worry. About him, or anything. They walked back home, Marinette catching him back up on what he missed in their 'History of Design' class.

Dinner was overshadowed by Tom and Sabine relentlessly asking questions about their relationship, keeping it fairly kosher throughout. Even so, Marinette was embarrassed beyond belief. After doing the washing up, they moved upstairs, Marinette having gotten her thoughts straightened out about the plan she had about how to defeat Hawkmoth.

"Ok. This is just a light plan that Alya and I came up with. You don't have to do it if you don't want to, just interrupt me when something doesn't suit your fancy. Ok?"

He nodded in recognition, sitting beside her on the small couch in her room. She took a breath, finding the words to make this seem doable, because in all honesty, she had no other plans. Everything else involved a fight, which would risk his visions coming to pass.

"Basically, you're going to go home tonight, and when he is asleep, you're going to sneak into his room and steal his miraculous. Maybe in costume, your footsteps won't be as loud. You know, maybe your cat instincts will let you stalk your way around… something like that."

Adrien sat for a moment, thinking of how this plan would work. It would be simple enough to come home after all this time, his father probably didn't even know he was gone. Nodding in agreement, remembering how much quieter he felt when he was in costume.

"Yeah, I think this could work. As long as he sleeps well, I shouldn't run into any issues."

The sun started to disappear over the horizon, signaling that Adrien needed to take his leave, disappointment flooding through his body, Marinette feeling sympathetic. They shared one last hug and kiss goodbye before Adrien made his way down the street, his driver already waiting for him. The ride was silent, gloom hanging in the air.

He was greeted at the door by Natalie, listing off some of the appointments he missed, and others that had been planned for the following week. Not a single mention of his father being worried, as he expected. He didn't even come down to the entryway to greet him. Adrien made his way up to his room, having thanked the secretary in a respectful manner.

Sighing, he looked out the window, at the same beautiful sunset that caused so much joy in him not a week ago. Now, all it signified was the time to make a move on his greatest enemy, who happened to be the last remaining family he had. Sitting on his bed, he turned on his phone to a few texts from a contact named "My Lady."

'Hey, did you make it home safe?'

'I just wanted to let you know that if anything goes wrong, I'll be just outside waiting. Make a fuss and I'll come running.'

Just the simple message, and the promise of help made him smile. He knew that she cared about him and was prepared to protect him if this ends up going south. Filled with newfound purpose, he lay down, putting in his headphones and listened to his fencing music after shooting back a quick text.

'Let's keep a level head, Adrien. You've done harder missions than this in your sleep.' He thought to himself, letting the music notes fill him, his heart a steady race. Before he knew it, the sun was down, and the moon was high in the sky. He only knew that it was time to start by his phone going off on his chest.

'I'm ready when you are. Good luck.'

He got up, making sure Plagg had eaten the cheese he had left out for him. He found the little Kwami floating by the plate, a determined look on his face. Adrien had never seen him this determined. Usually, he was doubtful and cynical about most pre planned missions, but tonight the Kwamis emotions mirrored his own.

"Claws out…" He whispered, the suit forming effortlessly around his toned muscles. It seemed the costume grew with him and stayed just as comfortable. Opening his door as silently as he could, the pads on his gloves and shoes adding extra stability and cushioning. He moved through the house with deadly efficiency, not a single whisper leaving the marble and hardwood floors.

'Now's the hard part.' Adrien took a deep breath before opening his fathers door, to see him sleeping peacefully in his king sized bed. He walked over and looked at the man lying there, completely defenceless, and something stirred in him.

'He's the one who's going to cause me so much pain… I could end this, right now, and Paris would be all the better for it.'

He loomed over the sleeping figure, subconsciously activating his cataclysm, holding it near his father's face, rage and sadness guiding his hand. Suddenly, he stopped, mere centimeters from ending the life of this man, his other hand holding himself back.

'What was I doing? I'm a hero, I can't just kill in cold blood.'

He used his neutral hand to search through his father's bedside table, finding the broach previously sketched by Marinette with relative ease. He left without so much as a squeak on the floor, making his way back to his room, closing the door just as his transformation wore off.

Panting, he held the little accessory in his hand, shaking from fear and adrenaline. He shakily shot off a 'mission accomplished' text and sat back down.

'See Adrien, you can put an end to threats without… neutralising them.'

Just as he was about to put the butterfly away, a figure swooped through his open window, landing in front of his bed with grace. The figure, tall and thin, walked towards him menacingly. Adrien turned on his lamp, wanting to get a better view of his love when he realised:

'I didn't hear a yoyo…'

The light illuminated the masked face of his father, wearing a dark purple suit, the butterfly miraculous secured quite firmly to his shirt.

"So… My own son." Gabriel stalked over to Adriens bed, prompting the boy to stand up and take up a defensive stance. Gabriel chuckled, knowing that Adriens meager hand to hand combat would never be able to overpower him. Realising this too, Adrien lowered his guard. 'If he is going to kill me, not only would he have done it already, but I wouldn't be able to stop it anyway.'

"How long have you known?" Adrien asked, cautious to how he posed his questions, not wanting to provoke his father.

"Not long, only a minute ago did I confirm it. Though, I had my theories. Your constant absence during my attacks, the reflexes you have developed over the past few years. I suppose that is the cat miraculous seeping through into your physical being."

Adrien was shocked. Not only did the plan fail to work, but now the one advantage they had over him was compromised, and he had just sent away his only backup. Could tonight get any worse?

"So? Are you going to try and take my miraculous again? Or are you just going to kill me and take it from my corpse?"

"Neither, my son. Taking it from you now, powerless and defenceless, would not be as entertaining or quite as challenging as taking both from you at the same time, fighting as though your lives depended on it. And I'm disappointed that you think I would kill my only son. I have a family legacy to uphold, you know."

Adrien bit his lip, thinking of ways to distract him for long enough to escape, but no such opportunities were arising.

"Why are you here then? This thing is obviously a fake, and now you have nothing left to lose. So why not take what you want right now?!" Adrien hurled the fake broach at his father, which he easily slipped, making a metallic clang against the wall behind him.

They were circling now, like opponents in a boxing ring, both of them devising a strategy to put the other ones lights out.

"I simply wanted to level the playing field. Maybe even give you an advantage. Before you left again, I wanted to let you know this one little fact."

Gabriel swooped forward with surprising speed and dexterity, closing the distance between the two in an instant. They were now face to face, both of them refusing to blink.

"I will be waiting. Face me whenever you wish, but I will be creating more and more akumas in the meantime. The longer you wait, the more exhausted you will get, having to face my endless army. I will be in the top tower, waiting at any point in the day or night. Face me, or all of Paris will suffer."

He then made his way back to the window that he had entered from, turning back to face his son once more, his face cold with malice.

"You should have killed me when you had the chance. I wasn't going to stop you, _Chat Noir."_


	7. Chapter 7

**The Beginning of the End**

Chapter 7

'God, I wish that this jacket fit like my costume.' Adrien was pulling at his fencing jacket, his instructor stretching his legs in front of him. He had been feeling distracted for a while now, but this is not the time to dwell on current events. Fencing is like any martial art, keeping a clear head is imperative to the success of the match.

The two took up their starting positions on the piece, another student taking his place in the center of the two of them, acting as the referee. With a simple command, the experienced man dashed forward, shooting for Adriens chest with deadly accuracy. He parried with difficulty, the only thing stopping him from losing a point being his enhanced reflexes.

They went back and forth in a frenzied bout, keeping their technique strong and clean. Parry, riposte, repeat. It was going so quick that the student referee couldn't follow it with his eyes, he relied on the machine to know when a point was scored. Adrien was losing ground steadily though, his instructor pushing him back inch by inch.

His mind slipped for an instant, running off of instinct alone, baiting an attack. His skilled opponent fell for it, which Adrien slipped past and struck back with his full force, sending the man careening through the air and landing back at the start of the piece, Adriens foil being bent out of shape and a hole punched into the mans jacket and breastplate.

Gasping for air, Adrien took off his helmet and looked at his opponent, internally concerned about his state of well being. The look of horror that flashed across the wounded mans face was one that he wouldn't forget. Adriens face was not one of the concerns of remorse, but one of victory and malice.

After processing what he had done Adrien quickly went to the change room, ripping off his gear, grabbing his regular clothes and backpack, leaving the gym in a hurry. His mind was racing about what his father said to him last night, and the guilt of even considering killing him while he slept made his pace move faster than it had before.

"Dammit Plagg, what am I going to do? I haven't even told Marinette yet."

The black kwami was hidden in the hood of his jacket, secluded from public eye but close enough to talk to his owner without any issue.

"Don't sweat it kid, I'm sure that everything will work out. You'll get plenty of chances to explain the situation to her too, like when the first akuma shows up. Then the next, and the next…"

"Ok, Plagg? Not helping. Just…. I'll figure something out."

The two of them walked down the street, their collective intelligence trying to find a way around the inevitable outcome of the fight that seems to be growing more and more unavoidable. Keeping his chin up, he arrived at the bakery that he has called home for the past while. It's only been a few days, but this little shop had felt more like home than his father's manor ever had.

"Good afternoon!" Adrien walked through the door to the smiling faces of Tom and Sabine, who have treated him like one of their own. Making sure he was keeping up with schoolwork, eating well, and staying healthy. Sabine motioned to the stairs, her message clear; 'She's waiting for you.'

He made his way up the winding staircase to see his lady in an oversized hoodie and shorts, working on something at the kitchen table, pencil on the corner of her mouth, lost in thought. Adriens natural instincts kicked in, putting his weight on the balls of his feet and moving silently behind her.

"And how is M'lady on this fine day?"

She jumped out of her skin, almost falling onto the floor. Luckily, Adrien was prepared for this, and caught her the second that she was off the chair. She had half a mind to jump down from his surprisingly strong arms and slap him but thought against it when she realised how hard they were both laughing. She hadn't heard him laugh like this for a while now.

_The night before, when Adrien had shown up at her window, panting and gasping for air, she was worried that something had gone wrong after all. _

"_Chat?! What's wrong?"_

_He had stumbled into her room and collapsed onto her floor, his transformation wearing off, leaving Adrien staring at the ceiling, expressionless, struggling to take a full breath. Running over to him and dropping to her knees, making sure that he was ok._

"_Adrien! What happened? You said that everything was ok, so why are you breathing like you outran a giant dog?"_

_He wasn't responding, metaphorical smoke coming out of his ears, his mind having run out of steam. So many thoughts and feelings had just simply loaded themselves onto his psyche until he reached the breaking point. So far, he had been able to handle anything thrown at him, but tonight had pushed him over his limit. This worried Marinette, as she needed her partner to be in top shape._

_The night remained uneventful, and she got the bad news the following morning. Adrien had neglected to fill her in on his moment of murderous urges, but he swore to himself that it would never happen again. However, fencing practice proved to him that the promise he made would not only be broken, but it would get worse._

Adrien put the young woman down, pulling her into a loving embrace, taking as much comfort as he was able to from the simple gesture. They both did, holding onto each other as though the world was about to end. The moment passed faster than either of them would've liked, shattered by the sound of an explosion from outside, signaling the need for them in the city once more.

They fell behind in schoolwork. Their entire school did. The recent attacks have not only been daily, but more and more destructive. The most recent attack had taken out half of theirs schools infrastructure, rendering school being cancelled for the time being.

The two heroes were exhausted, every day having to fight harder and harder just to reduce the loss of life. This had become more difficult as the days passed, this last victim making the civilian casualty count to push itself into the triple digits. They were relaxing on Marinettes couch, a random romance movie playing on the evening programming. They weren't paying attention to the plot, they were simply resting after what seemed like an eon of fighting.

However relaxed they may have been, the tension in the air was palpable. With more attacks happening, and the now necessary need for more allies, the idea of facing Hawkmoth and ending this, one way or another, was sounding better to Marinette by the day. She had been brainstorming ways to try and bring this up with Adrien for a few hours now while he was zoning out, but nothing brilliant was coming to mind.

"We could just face him, finish this before anyone else gets hurt."

This brought him back to the land of the living, the weight of the statement he just heard hitting him like a punch in the stomach. Adrien turned to Marinette, fear shining in his eyes in a way that she hadn't seen since she first heard of his visions.

"You can't be serious. My visions haven't changed, so if we go in there and duke it out, you-"

"I know. At this point, I'd rather end the suffering of everyone else and-"

"Sacrifice yourself?" Adrien was sitting up now, his stare making his bright green eyes stand out like emeralds in stone. Mariette looked away from the boy, the guilt she felt meeting her eyes with his becoming unbearable.

"Yes… To save everyone else in Paris. That's what heroes do, right? They make the hard choices that nobody else can make."

Adrien turned her head by her chin, pressing his forehead against hers as they have done so many times before, their eyes closed in sadness.

"What about me? I couldn't be able to live with myself if something happens to you. In every situation I've seen, I have been unable to save you. I haven't asked you for much, but this is one thing I know I need to ask…"

"I know, but I'm not staying behind."

Adrien winced. She was too smart and knew him too well. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly, his fear coming through even stronger, and the thought of losing her was simply too much to bear.

"Please, M'lady. You'd ask the same of me."

"And you wouldn't listen either."

They broke apart, the seriousness of the situation mingled with the desperation of the both, the answer clear.

"I need to be there. I'm your partner, this isn't a solo gig." Marinette whispered, holding Adriens hands in hers, giving a gentle squeeze. Apologetic in nature, the two shared a gentle kiss. Instead of taking his breath away as it usually does, It made him feel resigned. Sighing and giving off his signature smirk, tears in his eyes, Adrien had a brilliant idea.

"I'll tell you what. We go see Master Fu, and if he says that you should stay away from this fight, then I do this one by myself. If he says nothing…. Then we do it your way. Deal?"

'Always making deals, this sneaky kitty.' Marinette chuckled, the ridiculousness of the suggestion letting her shed some grief in humor. "Alright love. Tonight?"

Adrien blushed, the nickname having more of an effect than either of them had bargained for. He nodded, too flustered to speak, prompting more laughter from Marinette. They packed up their snacks, laid out haphazardly on the floor in front of them, and left via the window. Travelling while transformed was faster, so they opted for the rooftop approach.

Master Fu, as wise and surprisingly knowledgeable as he was, already had his window open for the two masked vigilantes when they arrived. They shrugged it off, having seen this many times before. They let their kwamis go free, the smell of fresh tea filling the small apartment. They introduced themselves, not wanting to scare the old man by their sudden visit, but he was already waiting for them.

Marinette sat down across the table from the guardian, Adrien taking up post by the wall. Pleasantries were exchanged, respect for each other had done nothing but grow with time. Instead of being a guardian in training, he was now the only man who could be trusted with keeping the miraculous safe.

"Master," Marinette began, getting down to business as she usually did. "We think it would be best if we simply face Hawkmoth, to stop any further casualties."

Master Fu sipped his tea in contemplation, "Oh? And what does your elusive partner think of this?"

The question was obviously directed at Adrien, but he nodded to Marinette. 'You've got this one, leave me out of it.'

"He agrees." Marinette lied, Master Fu skeptical of her response. "Though, he does have his doubts."

"I see. I believe that the training you have both received has made you more than capable of choosing your own battles, but if you two were unable to come to a decision you would come to a third party to help make the choice. Is this not correct?"

'Nothing slips past him.' Marinette realised lying won't get them anywhere. "Yes Master."

"Then he doesn't agree with your stance on this fight. Adrien, would you give me some insight on your opinion?"

The blonde shrugged, "I don't think it's a good idea, no matter how you look at it. If we were to do this, I would prefer it if Marinette stayed behind. My visions haven't changed, and that has me worried."

Another cup of tea was poured all around as Master Fu thought about his response.

"I think this has to come to an end. I lost a good friend in todays attack, and countless more will perish if something isn't done. Marinette, you will accompany Adrien to this battle, but you will stay by his side."

Marinette looked at her partner, defeat in his posture. She got up to leave, Adrien following suit.

"Adrien, stay for a moment please. I need to speak with you privately."

The two exchanged glances, an 'It's alright' face giving Marinette the go ahead to wait for him outside. Adrien sat down where Marinette was sitting not moments ago, another cup of herbal tea in his hands. Master Fu was the one standing now, their heads at almost equal levels.

"I know of the previous nights… events. I had Wayz look after you, after the shocking information about your father. I must say I'm surprised…."

"Master, I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me!"

"… That it took this long."

Master Fu turned to look at Adrien, his face neutral, but his eyes filled with a dire emotion.

"The black cat has the power to destroy, and living beings are of no exception. You both have gotten off easy with the lucky charm being able to deal with the situation. In previous incarnations of the black cat, they haven't been so lucky, to coin a phrase. When faced with a powerful enemy, it wasn't uncommon for the black cat to end the fight quickly with his cataclysm, so to stop said enemy from causing devastation."

Adrien sat in silence, his heart racing but his head clear. He had always thought that his ideas of ending fights like that to be taboo, something that wasn't to be done. Master Fu was telling of a time where it was necessary, and he was sure that now constituted one of those occasions.

"I'm sure that, when the time comes, you will need to use your powers in such a way. However, please be aware that this action comes with a price. Not the power of your Miraculous, or harm to the user like other powers, but damage to your mind and soul. Taking a life is no minor thing, Adrien. You must be ready to accept what you've done and move forward, knowing it was needed, or the guilt will kill you from the inside out."

Adrien nodded grimly, the responsibility of ending this fight surely in his hands now. He made a motion to get up, making his way to the door, when he was left by one final suggestion.

"Keep her close. I know of the feelings shared between you two, and that is a powerful ally. If she comes close to danger, be ready. Your window will be an instant, and it could mean the difference between her death, and the death of your father. I trust you've already made your choice?"

"I have. Thank you, Master."

He made his way to the roof, in costume once more, greeted by a gorgeous woman in a red spotted suit.

"Look at this." She said, holding out her hands. In them she held two miraculous boxes: the fox and the turtle.

"Master Fu must have known we needed them."

The two of them took off into the night, the boxes securely fastened to their hips, one each. They made it back to their base of operations without much trouble. A simple mugging was taking place in an alley they were passing, so they stopped quickly to scare him off, the victim being "eternally grateful."

Back in Marinettes room, they placed the boxes in one of Marinettes many secret storage places. Sitting back down on the couch, the decision of their next move having been made, they got ready for bed. Marinette wasn't satisfied for tonight though, something was nagging at her, and she decided to ask her partner about it.

"What was Master Fu talking to you about anyway? Something that needed to be done privately, It must have been pretty serious."

Adrien kissed Marinette on the nose, getting a giggle and a flushed face from her as a reward.

"It was nothing. He was just saying to keep you safe, which goes without saying. You're not going to leave my sight until this whole thing blows over, ok M'lady?"

She nodded, nesting her head against his chest, already falling asleep. Adrien looked out the window above her bed, one single thought resonating through him like a gong.

'This is the end of it. I need to make sure that she can see all the good we've done, and are about to do.'


	8. Chapter 8

**The Beginning of the End**

Chapter 8

The sky was already fading to a velvet black when Adrien decided to leave. Marinette had already left, deciding to meet with Alya and Nino for a quick briefing before tonight's mission. He had been sitting in her room, deep in thought about everything that has happened, 'Far too quickly,' In his opinion. He would have preferred to stay at rest and have at least another month with him and Marinette as a couple before risking her life again. He stretched for a moment, using the breathing techniques he had learned through Master Fu, his heart rate more under his control than it had been in days.

Clouds rolled across the sky, keeping the sunset hidden from the public eye. He laughed to himself. Thinking about how both of their identities were kept a secret. If she were to die tonight, Paris would mourn the loss of Marinette, disguised as another victim of an akuma attack. They would be unaware that they had instead lost one of their most prized defenders, and that he had lost the love of his life.

No music was playing through his earbuds tonight. The situation dire and foreboding. He had an advantage against his cursed prophecy, however. In his visions, he hadn't seen either of the allies they had brought with them tonight, already breaking free from the future he had seen. It was a weak hope, as they could have very easily been hidden from his view. The coffee shop they had decided to meet at was just down the street, and Adrien knew he had to put on a brave face, so he held on to the feeble thread of hope as hard as he could.

They were sitting in a corner booth when he walked in, the light chime attached to the door signaling his arrival. He spotted them quickly and made his way over, a coffee already waiting for him when he sat down. Marinette had already filled both of them in on the situation, including Adriens visions and the necessity to protect her.

His hope was quickly stolen away from him when they asked him how he was doing. As quickly as it had come about, a flicker of hope that resided inside of him was snuffed out like a candle in a hurricane. He sighed, knowing the danger and risks they were about to take. Lying to them would do nothing but give them a false sense of security.

"Honestly, I'm scared. The visions have been doing nothing but getting worse, and they haven't changed. The only hope I have is that, for some reason, you two haven't shown up in the visions. Maybe that will change the outcome in some way."

He took a deep drink from the coffee in front of him, honesty feeling bittersweet. Adrien knew that if he had kept his true feelings a secret it could have proven disastrous. The relief of having everything out on the table would make the bond between this small team even deeper, making great strides to ensuring the safety of the group.

This feeling, found within each of the four heroes hearts, was quickly shattered as an explosion was heard down the street, only a few blocks from the café in which they were currently sitting. Each of them with a grim expression on their faces, looked at their teammates, and stood up as one. They used the back room to get transformed, making their way to the site of the attack.

It was chaos; the akumatized victim was as large as many of the others they had fought in the past, but the destruction was unimaginable. The civilians caught in this attack were all taking off guard, and the massacre that ensued in just a few short minutes was enough to keep the morgue in business for months. Adrien sighed, "I guess this will be a good warmup. God knows how Hawkmoth fights when he is actually doing his own dirty work."

They all sprang into action, the yoyo tripping the beast while the other two got to searching for the object. Adrien, on the other hand, realised that these new Akumas weren't affecting an object that could be broken. It was fusing itself into the person itself. He walked calmly up to the fallen creature, a sad look in his eyes. A moment later, the street was empty, save a few teenagers in hero costumes and some black dust.

Everyone was shocked, Adrien included. He hadn't even realised that he had activated his cataclysm until the victim was already disintegrated. They all moved to the rooftops in silence, moving closer to the Aggreste manor. Their kwamis were around the corner, enjoying an array of snacks provided by their respective owners, while their human counterparts stood in a circle, demanding explanations.

"What the hell was that, man!?" Nino inquired, worried about his friend's mental health as Adrien stood there in silence. Marinette had joined him in silence, her thoughts too wild to let herself open her mouth. Nino and Alya pelted Adrien with accusations and bewilderment, their commotion turning to a dull roar. They were so loud that only Adrien heard when Marinette finally spoke.

"Is that what you plan on doing to him? Or can you justify killing that man tonight?"

Adrien turned to the angry woman beside him, thinking better of pulling her into an embrace. She might have hit him if he tried, her fury seething in her eyes. He met her fiery eyes with his own, cold as ice. His voice matched his chilling green orbs when he gave his response.

"He would have died anyway, if you were ever planning on using that lucky charm of yours again. And no, I don't plan on using it on my father, but I will if I must. To keep you safe. You come before anything else, especially that dirtbag." Adrien walked over to a nearby AC unit, sitting against it, running his hands through his hair. Tonight was not going as expected, but if they were to have any chance at victory, they needed to strike fast.

"Guys, I know that was a lot. It was overwhelming for me too, but we need to stay focused. He just used his ability, so if he hasn't de-transformed and fed his kwami yet, he will be weakened. We have the advantage, because soon we will be at full strength, while he will be weakened. If we're lucky, we might just catch them eating, and this will end without a fight, but we need to move fast."

Marinette looked at him, realising the weight in his words. He was right. She went to go check on their mystical friends, who had polished off their plates with seemingly relative ease. They quickly went over the plan once more, readying themselves up both mentally and physically. The turtle and fox left not long after, but just before Ladybug was about to leave, her wrist was grabbed by her partner.

"Are you still M'lady? I know I've changed recently, but that hasn't changed my feelings for you."

She pulled her wrist away, turning to look at him with tears in her eyes.

"I don't know, Chaton. Once tonight is over, and everything has returned to normal, then yes. For right now, I can't even think about that. I don't **want** to think about that."

They took off after that, quickly catching up to the rest of their team. Silence seemed to fall across the city, the small group looking at the window from which all evil has originated. Adrien hated himself for never realising that this window was just behind his house all this time. They couldn't see anything inside the dimly lit room, but they could see the silhouette of a man, pacing back and forth through the shadows.

"He's there." Alya whispered, the nerves creeping up on her. The whole group could feel the tension in the air. One way or another, the torment and tyranny would end tonight.

'No matter what, she stays safe.' Adrien thought, steeling himself before flying off the rooftop and through the stained-glass window, the rest of them following tightly behind. Immediately, they knew they had made a mistake, the energy pulsing through the room leaving the feeling of imminent danger flooding through the four heroes.

"Where is he?" Marinette asked the room, everyone looking to all corners of the room, searching frantically to find the man that had been there a second earlier. Keeping their wit sharp, they moved in unison to the centre of the room, where he would have been standing. The energy in the room continued to grow, a sense of foreboding making everyone question whether or not this was a good idea.

He came from above, landing in the middle of the group, scattering them to the walls, shattering their plan in the process. He moved to Marinette, who fell to the ground, struggling to get up. With a swift kick to the ribs, she went flying. This was inhuman strength, and the way she flew through the air confirmed it.

"Hey! Over here!" Adrien had already regained his balance. A cat always lands on his feet after all. He sprinted at the man who squared off with the boy to meet his attack.

A flurry of fists came from Adrien, his claws honed to a sharp blade, but despite his incredible speed, he couldn't seem to land a hit. He was losing ground now, the steady advance of this man pushing him farther and farther back. Adrien simply couldn't keep up with this increased power, and Alya and Nino were unconscious. They didn't have the experience that the other two did, so the initial blast had rendered them out of the fight.

'This isn't good. Shit!' Adrien struggled to keep his ground. Hawkmoth had an eerie glow in his eyes, the smile spreading across his face striking fear into Adriens heart. This one moment of hesitation led to Adrien receiving a blow to his chest, a heavy swing from Hawkmoths cane. He could feel, as he tumbled to the ground, that at least one of his ribs were broken. This wouldn't have been an issue, but the angle at which he saw Marinette as his father made his way to her…

'No… I refuse.' Adrien pushed himself up, finding a feral power starting to rise inside of him. His back arched and a low growl came from inside his chest, his teeth bared and his eyes narrowed to slits.

"Your future has no control over me!" He rushed his father, only a small fraction of his mind not clouded by a rage that had suddenly manifested itself. He fought like a cornered animal, his movements wild, unpredictable, and strong. This allowed him to buy enough time for Marinette to regain her feet.

She came up behind the dueling foes, moving as quickly as she dared, not wanting to alert Hawkmoth to her presence. Using her yoyo, she quickly wrapped it around him, binding his arms to his sides. In a normal situation, this would have been enough to have them grab the miraculous and that would have been the end of it. This wasn't a normal fight.

Hawkmoth grinned even wider, his supernatural strength breaking the string of the seemingly indestructible charm, wheeling around and gouging her stomach with his cane. The metal passed clean through her torso, a fountain of blood spilling to the ground as she fell.

Letting out a guttural scream, Adrien flew into a frenzy. He kicked his father with all his strength, sending him tripping over Marinette and falling to the floor himself. This didn't last long, as he was back on is feet before Adrien could even get to him. He needed to end this quickly, as Marinette was losing too much blood to last long.

The exchange was fast. Adrien used his wild movements to conceal himself activating his power, spinning like a whirlwind. Kicks and elbows came from the boy at an astonishing speed, so quickly that his father was starting to falter in his defence. With one swift movement, Adrien went for the killing blow, Hawkmoth dodging back, his hand outstretched. Landing several feet away, he looked at his hand, slowly turning to dust.

Adrien locked eyes with the man, his arm quickly succumbing to the cataclysm. His father, much like the man he was, got the last word in. As he always did.

"Congratulations kid… You're a killer now…"

With that, he fell onto his back, disappearing into a cloud of black dust, concealed by the lack of light in the room. Adriens work was far from over, moving quickly to his fallen love. It was bad, the blood had spread into a puddle almost as large as she was. He picked her up into his arms, just as Alya and Nino regained their consciousness.

"Call the hospital. Now! Tell them to prep emergency."

They nodded, Nino pulling out his cellphone as Alya covered her mouth in shock. Adrien quickly jumped out the window, his legs burning from the fight, but nowhere near to giving out. He jumped from roof to roof with the speed of a demon, the urgency forcing him forward faster than he had moved before.

"Adrien…" Marinette raised her hand to cup his face. He slowed down for a moment, looking into her eyes. She reached up to her ears, taking off her earrings and putting them into his hand.

"No, keep them. You're going to be fine." Adrien had a quiver in his voice, tears rolling down his face as he held her hand.

"I'm…" Marinette closed her eyes, her body starting to fall limp. Adrien shoved the earrings into his pocket, springing into action once again. He carried Marinette the few blocks from where they were to the hospital, paramedics waiting at the emergency entrance. He was stopped from entering the hospital, dropping to his knees.

"Please Chat Noir, there must be somebody you can call. Let someone know that she is hurt. We will do everything we can, but you need to notify her friends. We will call her parents."

Adrien pulled himself up with help from the nurse, using his staff to disappear onto the roof of the hospital. Quickly letting Plagg free and pulling out his own cell.

'She is in emergency. Paris central hospital. Both of you, meet me there.'

He quickly sent off the text to Nino, knowing that he would need someone here. He climbed down the fire access ladder down to the emergency entrance.

"I got a text saying that Marinette was here. Is she going to be ok?" Adrien used his raw charisma, as little as he had left, to get himself into the hallway outside the operating room. Alya and Nino joined him shortly after. He got hugs from both of them, and their miraculous. He also received the butterfly miraculous, stowing them in the same pocket as the earrings. Plagg was nestled into his hood, purring softly against his neck, hoping that comfort from everyone would help him keep his head straight.

Hours passed, Tom and Sabine joining them not long after Nino and Alya. They all sat patiently, in dead silence, waiting for someone to tell them what was happening. When the doctors all left the room, Adrien had wished for a longer wait.

Hugs were shared, Adriens mind completely blank. She had been there this evening, drinking coffee with him. She had been in his arms, and it was his fault for not being fast enough. Despite everyone saying they could give him a ride, he decided to walk home.

Master Fu's house was on the way, so he stopped in. Not a word was shared between them, Adrien didn't even drink the tea that he had left out in preparation. He simply walked in, looked at the old man, and gave him the four miraculous. Fu shed a tear as he saw the earrings, taking a breath to speak to Adrien, but he had already stepped out the door.

His house was empty. Not even Natalie greeted him at the door. He walked through the halls, running his hand against the wall until he made it to his room, collapsing onto his bed, his stomach empty and his heart shattered.

Adrien didn't show up at school for weeks after. He rarely left his room and didn't text or call anyone. He just sat on his bed, going down to the kitchen for food when he felt it was necessary. Only when Plagg was done with his squalor, and got Adrien onto his feet, did Adrien return to school. He wasn't the same though, rarely smiling and never answering the teacher's questions.

The crime rate in Paris had gone up, seemingly overnight. The news of Ladybug and Chat Noirs disappearance empowering the common criminals in the city. That night, Adrien donned his suit once more, setting into the city with a vengeance.

The hospital was full that night, both with injured people, but also with police officers. Chat Noir had spent every moment from dusk until dawn hunting down criminals. Usually, just his appearance would be enough to send anyone running. He didn't let any of the escape, cornering them and beating them until they could no longer be recognisable.

He sat on the Eiffel Tower, one leg hanging off the highest platform, the sun rising over the horizon. He only had one picture of Marinette, which he always kept in his suit. He pulled it out, admiring her beauty against his now bloodied face.

"I've been a bad kitty… haven't I M'lady?" He stood up, falling backwards off the platform. He let himself free fall for a moment before using his pole to fling himself onto a train passing by. He rode this train until he made it to Marinettes house, opening the window that he often would.

Boxes were everywhere, her clothes and belongings being put into storage for safe keeping. Her desk, however, remained untouched. He went over to it, looking through her sketchbook one more time, as he usually had. Her designs were mind blowing, even after seeing them for the millionth time. He flipped to the back of the book, looking for any new designs, when a paper fell out.

He bent down to pick it up, and realised it was an envelope addressed to him. Not Chat Noir, but Adrien. He pulled it open, making sure not to rip the paper unnecessarily.

'Hey Adrien.

If you're reading this, then your visions have come to pass. I'm sorry. I know I should have listened to you when you asked me to stay behind, but I had the same worry you did. If I wasn't there, then you could have died, and I wouldn't be able to live with that. I know you feel the same way, which is why I left this letter, hoping you might find it before my parents did.'

Adrien wiped his eyes, the tears being as painful as the words he was reading before him, the salt cutting into his freshly wounded face.

'Anyway, I guess there are some things I need to set straight. The first one being, don't do anything stupid now that I'm gone. I know this will be hard on you, but I need you to keep living as you always have. You have no idea how much you mean to everyone. Your smile keeps everyone going. The second, I need you to move on from me. I don't want you spending your entire life missing me and mourning me. Mourn for as long as you need but find someone who can make you happy. Even if I am one in a million, that still means that there are eight thousand people just like me.

I love you. I always have, and even beyond the grave, I will never cease to love you.

Marinette.'

Adrien folded the paper, exactly as it had been. He slipped it back into its envelope, carefully putting it into the pocket with her photo.

"That's right. You need to stay strong for her."

He didn't know how long his strength would last, but he would keep up the fight, both to live and to keep Paris safe, for as long as he could. Until the very end.

He left the room exactly as he had left it, save the letter, and left without a sound. He took off his costume, moving to the street. The morning commute has just started, and he had a modeling gig today. He stopped in at the café, sitting in the same seat he had that night, with the same coffee that he had.

'it will be hard. I needed you, M'lady.' He drank his coffee, his thoughts moving to the morning sky. The sun was now fully visible, casting shadows from the Eiffel tower, and illuminating the streets he swore to protect. As there was no greater evil, He sat there wondering if Master Fu would come to collect his miraculous, or if he would simply let him continue as he is.

'Time will tell, I guess'


	9. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

It has been months since she left me. The funeral was exactly as I saw it, the beautiful marble gravestone was even more stunning in person. The streets of Paris have never been safer, any petty thief learning their lesson from their many friends becoming incapacitated. It's been getting easier to maintain peace, and the police have been grateful for it. They said on live television that "due to the efforts of Chat Noir and Ladybug, the terror attacks from Hawkmoth have ceased, and small crime is practically nonexistent."

They got one thing wrong in that address. It's just me, wandering the streets as soon as the sun goes down, my ears finely tuned to the sound of fighting and the breaking of glass. Anywhere in the city, from one side of the seine to the other. Nobody dares to mess with the balance I've created.

'But you would have done it differently, wouldn't you?'

The sun was getting lower in the sky when the photographers released me. I've stopped going to school, my modeling and acting career taking great strides. I have stepped out from being my fathers' personal model and have made a brand that is all my own. The streets may be safe for the average civilian, but I can no longer go about my day without having people ask me for a photo or an autograph. I don't mind the following, as it dispels the suspicion of me being Chat, but now I need to stay even more cautious. If someone sees me transform, or I show up on set with a fresh injury, then everyone I know would launch a full-scale investigation.

I grabbed a bite to eat on my way home, having downsized from my father's luxurious mansion. Now, my residence is located in the heart of the city. A small apartment, the rent being paid by the extra money from selling the manor. Its enough for me, a small living room with a single bedroom and bathroom. Some of the furniture was moved from my old house, keeping the slightly smaller homestead in some form of excellence.

I dropped my keys on the kitchen counter, as I usually do. I decided to get myself a cat, small and grey, who comes up to me every day when I get home. I pick him up, his head rubbing underneath my stubbled chin, purring like a freshly tuned race car. I named him Storm, due to his clouded grey coat, giving the impression of a summer storm. Also, when he first came home with me as just a kitten, he tore around the house like a bat out of hell. It looked like a small localised storm hit my living room, contributing to his name.

After a small snuggle session with my kitten, I made myself supper. I've taken enough cooking classes in my life to know how to live with a balanced diet. Tonight, supper was a simple pasta and a small steak. Meat was expensive these days, even for an accomplished Model, so I found the smallest, cheapest cut I could. However, if you know how to cook it right, any cut of meat could be a three-star meal.

"Damn it all, I burned it again." I cursed as I flipped my small slab of meat, acrid smoke filling the kitchen. Luckily, I opted to take the batteries out of my smoke detector. I put the pan on a cold burner, the distraction causing my pasta to overboil, half of it spilling out and burning my hand as I tried to take it off the burner as well. Dropping the pot in pain, it spilled all over the kitchen floor, sending Storm running from the kitchen in a frenzy.

Plagg came from the other room, laughing like someone told him the funniest joke in the world. I looked at him and he stopped in a heartbeat. I sighed, moving to the sink to run my hand and arm under cold water, the skin turning a bright red and starting to blister.

"I suppose I could just order take-out… Again. Eh, Plagg?"

Plagg nodded, looking at the mess in the kitchen after my simple attempt to cook. I laugh at myself, tears forming in my eyes. I hadn't cried since the first night, not even at the funeral, but this simple task that Marinette could have handled so easily…

"God, I'm a mess… Why can't I do anything right?!" I screamed, turning my head to the heavens. Nothing had broken me yet, not since I started cleaning up all the trash in the city. Tonight was an off night, as I hadn't gone out hunting yet, despite the sun being down for the past hour. I cleaned up the kitchen, the pot and pan getting cleaned thoroughly before my ordered food arrived. I ate in complete silence, Plagg hurting just as much as I was. Losing her took its toll on the both of us, but Plagg had changed. Instead of his sarcastic quips, he simply remained silent. Even on a good day, when I was feeling somewhat normal, and bribed him with his favorite cheese, he still only made light conversation.

"Alright Plagg, its time." I stood up, putting the small takeout box in the garbage. The food was average, but I missed the baked goods that we would usually share. I moved to the window, transforming without needing to call for Plagg. I found that the constant combat had me stronger and more agile than I had been in all my life. I leapt from rooftop to rooftop, moving like the wind through the trees. You could tell I was moving, and the general direction, but trying to find me or catch me was like trying to catch the wind itself.

'It's a quiet night. I guess my work is pretty much done.' I sat on the edge of a building overlooking the street in front of the now closed bakery. Tom had given up baking since she left, his passion and creativity leaving shortly after she did. They both decided it would be best if they moved to a small town in the country, living off Sabines pension. The bakery was left empty, a large 'for sale' sign on the front window. I often sat here, remembering the number of times I snuck in through the window, or met Marinette on those front steps.

Lost in thought, the depression creeping up on me once again, an old memory was re visited. The sound of her yoyo, flying through the air, swinging like a monkey on a vine. I smiled, remembering how that sound always used to make me feel. Then I heard it again, almost louder than It was in my memory. I stood up, looking around.

'no…' I saw a figure, swinging from a line, a straight beeline to my current rooftop. I took a breath, my chest feeling heavy, and my breathing labored.

'I can't do this anymore.'

She landed in front of me, wearing the same suit that she had. At least some things never change.

"Hey Chat Noir, I'm Ladybug. Nice to meet you, partner!" She stuck out her hand for me to shake, but I didn't take it. I had been tortured enough by the memory of her. Waking up, turning to my other side wanting to kiss her but only seeing an empty bed. Calling her name when I came home, thinking she would be waiting for me there. It was too much to see some woman standing in front of me, wearing her colors.

"No, you're not." I took off my ring, putting it on the rooftop beside me. She gasped, seeing my civilian form. She made a move to take off her earrings, but I stopped her. I let her hands go, shaking my head, tears running freely for the last time. I moved to the ledge of the building, standing on the raised edge. Even with my increased durability, a fall from this height without the help of my Miraculous…

"No! Stop it!" She shouted from behind me. I could hear her footsteps rapidly approaching, and I knew it was now or never. Closing my eyes, I stepped off the building, sending my body into freefall. The wind rushed past my face, my hair whipping around like in a winter flurry. I spread my arms, the wind pushing them backwards.

Then there was nothing. I opened my eyes, feeling the warmth of the sun against my face. I looked at my feet, a field of every flower imaginable flowed from all directions, yet nowhere at all. It simply existed. I took a deep breath, the wind blowing soft and sweet, the many scents of the infinite flowers mingling, yet every single one was distinct. I was just about to take a step, realising the heat and light was not the sun, when I heard a voice.

"Adrien…?"

I turned around, the voice resonating in my ears. I looked at the woman before me, dressed in the same clothes she was on that day, her hands in front of her face, tears running across them. She was sobbing, and I was dumbstruck. She sprinted at me, her arms flying around my neck, pulling me into a tight embrace. I leaned into it, her smell being too pure to be real. The warmth from her hug, the wetness of her tears through my shirt, and her presence was too good to be true.

We broke apart after some time, both of our tears being dried. She smiled at me, taking my hand in hers. We walked together, towards the light that had drawn me closer to it…

'I don't even know how long it's been. How long have I been here?'

That was the last question I asked, the softness of her hand and the bliss that filled my mind leaving all those irrelevant questions behind, like the world that had been so cruel to me. I didn't know where I was, but looking at my one true love beside me, I knew. I knew that everything would be ok.

_Fin_


End file.
